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East:

Reggie Jackson, Detroit Pistons

The point guard has enjoyed a good season for the Detroit Pistons after signing a five-year, $80 million contract with the team in the summer. He is averaging 19.1 points and 6.2 assists for a Pistons team who should make the playoffs, largely due to Jackson’s contributions.

He has formed a dangerous combination with Andre Drummond in Detroit and can count himself unlucky not to accompany his team-mate to Toronto.

Al Horford, Atlanta Hawks

The three-time All-Star has maybe suffered a little from the shortage of frontcourt options on the All-Star rosters.

The Atlanta Hawks may not be setting the league alight like they were last season, but they’re still fourth in the East with a 30-24 record, with Horford being a big contributing factor.

He’s averaging 15.2 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, which are very similar to the numbers he put up last year when he was named an All-Star.

Kemba Walker, Charlotte Hornets

The Charlotte Hornets have a realistic chance of making the playoffs and Kemba Walker is one of the main reasons for that.

The 25-year-old is having his most efficient season in the league, shooting 43% from the field and 36% from the three-point line, averaging 20.4 points and 5.1 assists-per-game in the process.

Walker is also the only point guard other than Steph Curry to have a 50-point game this season when he dropped 52 points against the Utah Jazz in January. His team’s losing record at the time may have counted against him on this occasion.

West:

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

Lillard can certainly be considered as the biggest All-Star snub. Despite ultimately making the All-Star team last year to replace the injured Blake Griffin, he didn’t hide his frustrations at initially being overlooked in 2015, and he has reason to be disappointed again.

After the departures of LaMarcus Aldridge, Wes Matthews and Nicolas Batum from the Trail Blazers, Lillard has become the leader of the team and is averaging an impressive 24.2 points and 7.3 assists-per-game and has given his team an unlikely chance of making the playoffs.

The West has talented guards in abundance and with the likes of Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook and Chris Paul all having strong winning records with their respective teams, it was difficult to see Lillard being picked ahead of them.

DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers

For the second consecutive season, DeAndre Jordan may feel hard done by that his performances have not been deemed worthy of an All-Star berth.

The 6 ft 11 inch center has been the lynchpin of the Clippers’ defence this season and has the best field goal percentage in the league at 70.9%, primarily due to his ability to finish at the rim.

Despite Blake Griffin’s injury problems, the Clippers have not suffered and Jordan has played his part. His offensive limitations may have had an impact on him, particularly in comparison to his fellow big men such as Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins, who were both selected.

Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks

Despite being 37-year-old, and only playing around 30 minutes a game, Nowitzki continues to post great numbers and has led a Mavericks team who are one of the surprises of the season.

After the drama surrounding the failed acquisition of DeAndre Jordan in the summer, many predicted Dallas would tail off but the big German is still proving a valuable go-to option for the franchise.

Nowitzki is averaging 17.6 points and 6.6 rebounds-per-game, which are an improvement on his numbers from the previous term when he was selected as an All-Star. Again, the lack of frontcourt spots in the lineups has maybe hampered Nowitzki’s chances, but at his age, he certainly wouldn’t mind the time off.

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